Louis-Gabriel Suchet was born on March 2, 1770, near
Lyons, France. While still a young man he joined the new revolutionary army
where his youthful fervor quickly gave way to a generous and honest personality
which won the unwavering dedication of his men. Suchet however, was an
outspoken individual and early in his career he repeatedly and openly
criticized young Napoleon Bonaparte's ascending status. This was to stunt the
young Suchet's career in numerous ways and only after long and obviously
brilliant service did the two sides agree on his appropriate rewards of rank
and command. Years later however, when Napoleon was asked who the best French
general was, he replied "This is difficult to say, but it seems to me that it
is Suchet..."

The following memoirs were written by Marshal Suchet,
and are based directly on the original English language editions published by
Colburn in 1829, three years after the marshal's death. They cover only the
period of the peninsular campaign and insurrection, during which Suchet held
almost all of Eastern Spain  the only French Marshal of the wars to
enhance his status as a result of service in Spain. As both an eyewitness and
brilliant commander, Suchet is an invaluable resource for anyone wishing to
understand the difficulties of Napoleonic warfare at its worst, the subtleties
of counter-insurgency operations and the advantages of efficient civil
administration.